Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS 10.15.4 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fourth beta and over a month after releasing macOS Catalina 10.15.3.

macos catalina wallpaper
The ‌‌macOS Catalina‌‌ beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.

macOS Catalina 10.15.4 includes Screen Time Communication Limits, a feature first brought to the iPhone in the iOS 13.3 update, and it brings a new Head Pointer Accessibility option that allows the cursor to be controlled with head movements using the Mac's camera.

Real-time lyrics are included in macOS 10.15.4, bringing an iOS feature introduced in iOS 13 to the Mac. Real-time lyrics allow the lyrics for a song to scroll in real-time to the music so you can follow along with what's being sung.

References to AMD processors have also been discovered in the macOS 10.15.4 beta, leading to speculation that Apple is working on AMD-based Macs, but these references could simply be for internal testing rather than evidence of an AMD Mac.

Though not directly part of macOS Catalina 10.15.4, Apple is adding a new universal purchase option for macOS and iOS apps, which will allow Apple device users to purchase one app that works across multiple platforms.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina

Top Rated Comments

iTech23 Avatar
74 months ago
Installing right now to see if it fix the issue with the new MacBook Pro 16-inch with an external monitor connected.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
liberte1776 Avatar
74 months ago
Why oh WHY do we STILL not have grouped notifications in Notification Center, like on iOS & WatchOS?!

Sad Apple, they way you neglect the Mac.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MauiPa Avatar
74 months ago

Fix the slow boot up?
Not slow at all for me. I did a clean install 6 months ago, was having slow boot up issues prior. also cleaned up a lot of crap that programs had stuffed into startup, and fixed security issues. WTF does Google updater need to control the computer?


Itunes has just been getting worse every beta, the minelayer can't be resized, it not playing when the play button is hit, fix that crap will ya.
iTunes? We are talking about Catalina - iTunes is gone! Music works great. did you mean mini player, not minelayer? it resizes just fine. Play button works too. I have no idea where you are coming from. But seeing you are talking iTunes, maybe you are not using Catalina?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rocko99991 Avatar
74 months ago
Fix the slow boot up?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheSkywalker77 Avatar
74 months ago

Why oh WHY do we STILL not have grouped notifications in Notification Center, like on iOS & WatchOS?!

Sad Apple, they way you neglect the Mac.
The amount of people who actually use Notification Centre on the Mac is a lot smaller than people who use it on iOS and watchOS, which may be why it hasn't gotten grouped notifications yet. I do agree that it should happen, but I wouldn't say they've neglected the Mac.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jim Higgins Avatar
74 months ago

Fix the slow boot up?
AND the strong tendency to reboot instead of shut down when told to shut down!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Here's When Tesla is Expected to Add Support for Apple CarPlay

Sunday November 16, 2025 6:49 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Tesla plans to add Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles "in the coming months." This is easily the biggest news for the regular version of CarPlay in years, should Tesla actually follow through with offering the system in its vehicles. As noted by Gurman, this would be a stunning reversal for Tesla and its CEO Elon ...